It’s been two weeks now since Kroni officially went barefoot as we wait for his feet to grow out. Poor guy has been ouchy, for sure. But I’m relieved to see that the hoof that’s left has been holding up well. There’s no additional chipping or cracking.

To him more more comfortable, I’ve been treating his soles with Durasole to toughen them up. Certainly that has been helping. I’ve also been bedding his stall extra deep and keeping it as clean as possible. That sounds easy, but since it’s been in the high 80s every day recently, he and Freedom have been standing inside most of the day where there are no bugs and it’s a good 10 degrees cooler.

Hoof boots have helped too. I don’t want to leave them on all the time because there’s been quite a bit of rain and I don’t want his hooves to be softened by too much moisture trapped in the boot. However, I’ve put Easyboot Bares on him a few times so that I could take him for some walks. I know he enjoys the change of scenery; he’s eager to go out and reluctant to return. 

One new problem has emerged, though. Because he’s probably still sore in front, a couple of times he’s really clipped his heel bulbs with his hind hoof. My vet explained that he’s just not coming off the ground quick enough in front. It happened two days ago when I turned him out to graze. He and his buddy Freedom had a good run about and when I brought them in, I realized that he’d been forging. It’s always something! So, now I’m doing my best to keep his heels clean, covered in antibiotic and safe from those hind feet.

I’ve also switched over to a new hoof supplement: Formula 4 Feet. I’ve read good things about it and will let everyone know if it makes a difference.